(The Associated Press circulated the following article on October 6.)
OMAHA, Neb. — Severe thunderstorms near Topeka, Kan., last weekend forced Union Pacific to close four rail lines that normally carry coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.
Storms dumped 10 to 12 inches of rain on the area Saturday, and the runoff damaged bridges on the lines, executive vice president Jack Koraleski said in a letter to customers posted on the railroad’s Web site.
The letter, which is dated Monday, also details the lingering effects of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.
The rains in Kansas also caused erosion damage and washouts in places along the rail lines which normally carry all the traffic between the western United States and Kansas City and St. Louis.
Koraleski said the railroad’s repair crews have been working around the clock since the storms hit, but it will take at least seven days to complete repairs and resume normal traffic.
On Monday, the railroad was able to reopen one line with limited service.
Elsewhere, Union Pacific was still recovering from the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The railroad’s stations in New Orleans remain closed, Koraleski said, but those are expected to reopen as soon as the city’s recovery allows.
The lack of electricity and other basic services near Lake Charles, La., and Beaumont, Texas, continues to hamper rail operations.
It could take another two to four weeks to restore power to the railroad and its customers in the area, Koraleski said.
“We are using hundreds of portable generators throughout the region to supply power to crossing signals so that we can operate over lines that have no electricity,” Koraleski said.